THE afternoons will be filled with more love, family drama, and intriguing twists as the newest GMA series AraBella begins on March 6. The program is headlined by young stars Shayne Sava as Ara and Althea Ablan as Bella, together with seasoned artists Camille Prats as Roselle, Wendell Ramos as Gary, and Alfred Vargas as Ariel.
Shayne admits that she feels pressured in bannering the show and working with veteran actors: “It is overwhelming and at the same time heartwarming. It feels good knowing that a lot of people appreciate our hard work and talents. Pressure comes along with it, but I will always do everything to improve every day.”
Althea also expresses gratitude for having interesting and challenging roles: “I’m always thankful to GMA for giving me the opportunity to give life to these characters. It’s a bit close to my last role in Prima Donnas but at the same time it’s really a brand-new experience and my character here has a lot more depth and nuance.”
Camille, on the other hand, shares her preparations for her comeback series: “I’m excited to do what I’ve always loved doing. At the same time, I feel nervous because I haven’t acted in five years. I familiarized myself with Roselle’s role in order to prepare for the right nuances of the character.”
Alfred also recounts how he can relate to his character: “Much like Ariel, alam kong maraming hamong dala ang pagiging ama, especially on setting a good example to your daughters. It’s especially difficult to devote family time when you juggle several roles. Pero kapag anak mo na ’yung pinag-uusapan, you can sacrifice everything for them.”
Completing the star-studded cast are Klea Pineda, Abdul Raman, Saviour Ramos, Ronnie Lazaro, and Nova Villa.
AraBella follows the story of a loving mother, Roselle, who searches for her lost daughter. Even though it has already been 10 years since her child was kidnapped, Roselle still believes that they will be reunited.
With the help of a TV show, Roselle meets Ara, a teenager who got kidnapped during childhood and is now searching for her real mother. Both of their narratives match and it gives them hope to finally bring their family back together.
But amid their blossoming relationship, Roselle and Ara find out in DNA tests they are not blood-related. Despite this saddening result, Roselle still decides to adopt Ara. However, everything will change as the real daughter, Bella, returns.
AraBella is made under the supervision of GMA SVP for entertainment group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, with Adolf Alix Jr. directing. Alix says the show will deliver something new and special to the audience: “I think the journey is quite familiar and relatable but as what they all say, we all have our unique way of telling our story. The twist and turns of how Roselle takes the chance for Ara and Bella challenges our notion of being a woman, a mother and our traditional family system.”
AraBella premieres on March 6 and airs weekdays at 3:25 pm on GMA.